Patrick Dove/Standard-Times Mark Norwood is assisted into the Tom Green County Courthouse in San Angelo Tuesday to stand trial in the 1986 murder of Christine Morton in Williamson County. Opening arguments were expected in the morning.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - A Tom Green County jury this morning heard opening arguments in the murder trial of Mark Norwood, a 58-year-old former dishwasher from Bastrop accused of killing Christine Morton in Williamson County in 1986. Williamson County lies just north of Austin and includes the cities of Georgetown and Round Rock. The trial was moved to San Angelo because it was assumed that an unbiased jury would not be able to be seated in the county where the crime occurred.

Michael Morton, Christine Morton’s husband, was originally convicted of her murder and served 25 years in prison before being exonerated by new DNA evidence. That evidence also was used to charge Norwood, who has been in the Williamson County jail for the past 16 months.

The trial judge is Burt Carnes of the 368th District. The prosecutor is assistant attorney general Lisa Tanner, and the lead defense attorney is Russell Hunt. A jury was seated Monday, and the trial is expected to last two weeks.